These Lemon Ricotta Small Batch Cookies are soft, tender, and with fresh lemon flavor. Ricotta cheese gives these cookies an incredibly light and cake-like texture, while the lemon zest and sweet lemon icing make every bite taste like summer. Since this is a small batch recipe, which comes together quickly with simple pantry ingredients.
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🧽 Dish Duty: Standard — You’ll use a mixing bowl and baking sheet for the cookies, plus a small bowl for the lemon icing and a cooling rack.
Ingredients Needed
- Use whole milk ricotta: Whole milk ricotta creates the softest, richest texture. If your ricotta seems watery, drain off excess liquid before mixing.
- Fresh lemon makes a difference: Fresh zest and juice give these cookies their bright, vibrant citrus flavor.
Have leftover ingredients then try this lemon ricotta pasta sauce .
Visual Instructions for Lemon Ricotta Cookies
Start by preheating the oven at 350 degrees F and mixing the cookie dough
Place on baking sheet and bake at 350 for about 12-14 minutes.
Cool the cookies, make the icing and ice the cookies.
Recipe Notes
- Don’t over bake: These cookies stay pale even when fully baked. Remove them once the tops look set and the bottoms are lightly cooked.
- Adjust the glaze consistency: Add more powdered sugar for a thicker glaze or a few extra drops of lemon juice for a thinner drizzle.
Storage: Store the glazed cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, if they last that long.
Lemon Ricotta Cookies
Ingredients
Recipe Directions
- Start by preheat your oven to 350℉
- In a large bowl, combine the room-temperature butter, sugar, vanilla extract,and lemon zest. Beat for a few minutes.
- Add the egg and beat until well combined.
- Add the ricotta cheese and beat again until smooth.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix with a spatula until you have a smooth dough. There's no need to chill the dough.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a #20 cookie scoop, form equal-sized balls of dough. Pace them on the baking sheet, leaving space between each one.
- Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the tops are cooked through. The dough doesn't brown much.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.
- Mix the powdered sugar with the lemon juice, adding it gradually until you reach the desired consistency.
- Spread the icing onto each cookie.
- Finally, decorate with a little lemon zest sprinkled over the icing.
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Nutrition
Notes
- The zest is key to the flavor, so be sure to wash it well and avoid the
white pith (albedo), as it is bitter. - If you don’t have an ice cream scoop, you can form balls with
the cookies using a spoon, making sure they are all the same size so they bake evenly. - Don’t overbake them; they don’t brown much in this type of cookie
and remain paler.
Your Private Recipe Notes
Estimated Recipe Cost
Estimated prices may vary depending on location and brand.
| Ingredient | Estimated Cost |
|---|---|
| All-purpose flour (¾ cup) | $0.12 |
| Butter (2 tablespoons) | $0.28 |
| Ricotta cheese (½ cup) | $1.10 |
| Granulated sugar (6 tablespoons) | $0.10 |
| Lemon zest + juice | $0.55 |
| Vanilla extract (½ teaspoon) | $0.35 |
| Baking powder + salt | $0.05 |
| Egg yolk | $0.20 |
| Powdered sugar (6 tablespoons) | $0.18 |
Estimated Total Cost
Approximately $2.90–$3.25 for the batch